Connecting people to one another.

COMING SEPTEMBER 2017

What are Circles?

Relationships are life. We were made to live life with other people. We are born into families, raised in social groups and relationships are vital to a healthy life. Unfortunately, for the most part, the older we get the more difficult it becomes to find and cultivate new friendships. A "social space" (gatherings of 5-20 people) is the first stepping stone from strangers to friends. Everyone in a social space will know your name, though they may not know your personal business. A social space is the most conducive environment for getting to know new people.

That's where Circles come in. Recognizing the limitations on social space, Circles seek to create a place where healthy friendships can begin. After home and work, Circles seek to become the “third place” in our social life. The people we come to know in our Circle will become the ones we hang out with, that we call for help and celebrate life with. On a Sunday morning you may pass by, sit with, or even say "hi" to any number of people, never having an opportunity to get to know them because a service is such a public space, focused on the corporate worship of Jesus. But, in a Circle, the focus is entirely on the people you're with. Space is reduced and barriers are removed so people can move from acquainted strangers to friends. For some Circles, that will happen around a discussion of Sunday's sermon; for others, that may include a book, Bible, or video study; still other Circles may decide a weekly basketball game, service project, or other hobby is the best way to begin relationships. Whatever the medium, the purpose is the same: to connect people to each other through godly discussion and interaction over mutual interest.